There are many instances where the amount of milk which a suckling infant is receiving from the breast needs to be augmented. For instance, some babies have difficulty learning to suckle the breast. This can lead to a reluctance to breast feed, since the infant does not receive immediate gratification upon suckling. The mother's milk supply may often be inadequate, such as from a temporary reduction in milk supply from mother-baby separation, illness or the like.
It is also possible for an adoptive mother to induce lactation. The mammary glands can be stimulated to begin to produce milk. The induction of lactation can take some time, however. Moreover, most women will not be able to exclusively breastfeed the adopted child.
While the milk supply can be supplemented in these instances with bottle feeding, it is most desirable to be able to provide the diet supplementation simultaneously with normal breast feeding. This serves to stimulate the production of more milk, improves suckling where necessary, and further perpetuates the mother-child bonding incident with breastfeeding.
There are a number of considerations in designing a device to so supplement the milk supply during breastfeeding. First, it should deliver the supplement to the infant in an unobtrusive manner. The user should also be comfortable with the device, and be able to use it with relative ease.
The child must also be able to get the breast nipple and the supplement delivery means into its mouth simultaneously. A small diameter delivery tube can be used to this end. Such a tube can be difficult to clean after use, however.